Venture capital, or “VC,” is a type of private equity financing that provides early-stage capital for innovative companies with high growth potential. This is an important source of entrepreneurial finance for startup companies that lack a sufficient track record for financing from traditional banks, and an initial “seed funding” round may be followed by Series A, Series B, and subsequent follow-on investment rounds as the company grows.

In exchange for making these risky investments, a VC firm typically takes a large equity stake and may often sit on the board of a startup. This can make VCs important stakeholders in a startup’s development beyond just their provision of financing, and some startup founders may choose to look for alternative sources of early-stage funding such as angel investors or crowdfunding in order to maintain more control over their company.

However, venture capital financing will remain a critical part of the startup funding landscape for the foreseeable future. According to the National Venture Capital Association’s annual yearbook, there are 1,328 active U.S. VC firms representing $444 billion in combined assets under management - nearly as much as the largest U.S. private equity firms. Moreover, the unique expertise and strategic guidance that VC firms can provide, as well as connections to other investors, startups, and potential employees, is worth the sacrifice in equity and control for many entrepreneurs.

Anyone with an interest in entrepreneurship needs to be familiar with the venture capital landscape, including both the pros and the cons of taking on VC investment. According to the National Venture Capital Association’s annual yearbook, VC-backed companies comprised 42% of all U.S. IPOs from 1974 to 2014 - and in 2019, they accounted for 43% of all U.S. IPOs, with a total valuation of $223 billion. Thus, while VC isn’t an essential path to take for entrepreneurial financing, it is an option that cannot be ignored.

Alternately, if you want to work at a VC firm yourself, you can pursue a career as a financial analyst. Like other financial institutions, VC firms employ analysts to evaluate companies and help make investment recommendations, and these analysts typically develop expertise in a specific industry or geographic region. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, financial analysts working in securities and other financial investments made a median wage of $101,410 in May 2018, making this a high-paying start to a career in venture capital.

Yes, Coursera offers many courses as well as Specializations in finance, including venture capital and other startup funding pathways. You can learn about venture capital remotely from top-ranked schools such as Duke University and the University of Pennsylvania, ensuring that you won’t have to sacrifice the quality of your education to learn online. The ability to complete coursework on a flexible schedule is a particularly ideal fit for entrepreneurs, who can also learn about relevant topics in business, computer science, and other areas through Coursera.